Rep. Takano Statement on House Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023
Washington, DC – Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released this statement following the House passage of H.R. 7900, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY2023). The NDAA authorizes $850 billion – or $37 billion above the President’s budget request – in discretionary spending to support Department of Defense (DoD) programs.
“The FY23 NDAA must be designed to strengthen our national defense operation and continue to build our strong, diverse military,” said Rep. Mark Takano. “While this legislation provides meaningful improvements to our national defense policy, desperately needed investments in our communities should not take a back seat to a burgeoning defense budget.
“I have endeavored to improve the underlying bill to support our allies and ensure that the U.S. can mount a credible response to the growing strategic challenge posed by China and other adversaries. I’m proud to have included seven amendments in this bill that expand medical care to South Korean veterans, fight discrimination in the armed forces, honor Korean American and Korean veterans, and support our firefighters. Nevertheless, we must reinforce our commitment and dedication to our servicemembers, our veterans, and our national defense in a manner that does not undermine domestic investments in areas such as health care, education, and housing.”
The NDAA includes the following amendments introduced or co-sponsored by Rep. Takano:
- Amendment #637: Expands access to hospital and domiciliary care and medical services to South Korean veterans now living in the United States who served as a member of the Korean Armed Forces during the Vietnam War under VA's existing authority to serve allied beneficiaries. This amendment language is identical to HR 234 – the Korean American VALOR Act.
- Amendment #342: Requires the comptroller general of the US to study the feasibility of establishing a strategic stockpile of materials required to manufacture batteries, battery cells, and other energy storage components to meet national security requirements in the event of a national emergency.
- Amendment #9: Requires that the Armed Forces Workplace and Gender Relations Surveys solicit information regarding the presence of discriminatory factors involved in an assault.
- Amendment #71: Requires the Department of Defense to submit a plan to assess, review, and provide recommendations to address anti-Asian bias, discrimination, and harassment and to implement the recommendations; and provides a sense of Congress regarding the service of Asian Americans in the Department of Defense.
- Amendment #163: Expresses the Sense of Congress that Korean-American and Korean veterans who fought alongside United States Armed Forces in the Vietnam war served with distinction and honor.
- Amendment #431: Prevents the enforcement of predispute forced arbitration clauses in any dispute covered under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
- Amendment #481: Adds the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act to the bill (H.R. 2499), which would create the presumption that federal firefighters who become disabled by certain serious diseases contracted the illness on the job.
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